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The tomb of perneb part 1 of 3
The Tomb of Perneb is a mastaba-style tomb from ancient Egypt, built during the reigns of Djedkare Isesi and Unas (ca. 2381 BC to 2323 BC), in the necropolis of Saqqara, north of Pharaoh Djoser's Step Pyramid and about 30 kilometers south of Giza, Egypt. It was the tomb of Perneb, and from the size and placement of the tomb he might have been a court official or royal family member.
Contents
- The tomb of perneb part 1 of 3
- The tomb of perneb part 2 of 3
- Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- References
The tomb was erected during the 5th dynasty in the Old Kingdom. It was discovered in 1907, purchased from the Egyptian government in 1913 and given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, United States of America, by Edward S. Harkness.
Perneb was a court official in the royal household who had a role in the robing and crowning of the king. His name means "my Lord has come forth to me". His tomb was attached to the larger tomb of the vizier Shepsesre, who may have been Perneb's father.
The tomb consists of an underground burial chamber and a limestone mastaba above ground. The mastaba is divided into four rooms, including a decorated main offering chapel and a secondary offering chamber with a separate entrance. The secondary offering chamber is connected to the serdab (Arabic for "cellar"), a closed room containing a statue of Perneb, by a slot through which the smell of incense and chants could pass into the serdab. Perneb's burial shaft was located to the right side of the main offering chamber. The main offering chapel is decorated with a false door and painted reliefs which depict Perneb seated at an offering table where he offers food and other goods.
The tomb of perneb part 2 of 3
Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Since the 1910s, the tomb has been on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As of 2015, it is at the entrance to the museum's collection of Egyptian art. Visitors can enter the tomb and walk through its rooms. Some of the internal heiroglyphics have been translated into English.
In its original location, there were two small obelisks at the western corners of the courtyard, honoring the sun god Re. These are no longer part of the museum exhibit.